State Sen. Chris Brown to advise governor’s office on Atlantic City affairs

Brown, a longtime area attorney, has sold his law practice, so now he has the time to devote to a demanding full-time role like this, he said.

Brown has close friends in the city, including Democratic Mayor Marty Small Sr.’s Chief of Staff Ernest Coursey, who is also a Democratic county commissioner.

“We had sons on the same day almost 25 years ago,” Brown said. “They ended up playing ball together.”

Brown also has long family ties to the city.

“There has been a Brown on this island since 1911,” he said.

Brown, a member of the minority party in the Legislature, often worked with Democrats to pass bills for the region.

Along with Republican State Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, Brown joined Democrats in co-sponsoring a bill Murphy signed into law in April to provide $35 million in federal funding to restaurants, bars, breweries, brew pubs and wineries.

Mazzeo was a primary sponsor of the restaurant aid bill, and Assemblyman John Armato, D-Atlantic, co-sponsored in the Assembly.

Brown was one of the Republicans who joined Democrats in the state Senate in condemning President Donald Trump for his role in promoting an attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.